ENVIRONMENT

Plastic Free Greece aims to publicly and consistently highlight the issue of marine and coastal pollution caused by plastic waste and to transform environmental awareness into collective action. For Lidl Hellas, the programme is not a one-off clean-up activity, but a purpose-led communication and mobilization platform that connects nature protection with the everyday responsibility of citizens, visitors, local authorities, employees and businesses.

The issue is directly linked to Greece: its coastlines, islands, tourism destinations and marine ecosystems, which are under constant pressure from single-use plastics and other waste. Through Plastic Free Greece, Lidl Hellas seeks to cultivate environmental awareness, encourage the reduction of excessive plastic use, promote responsible consumption and strengthen the understanding that environmental protection requires collaboration.

The initiative is part of Lidl Hellas' sustainability strategy, under the pillar Good for the Planet, and is linked to the Schwarz Group's international REset Resources / REset Plastic strategy, with emphasis on REduce, REcycle and REmove. It is also connected to the company's commitments to reduce plastic use, increase recyclability and protect natural resources. Its goal is to operate as a platform for information, education and participation, with a clear message: less plastic, more responsibility, cleaner seas and coastlines.

The initiative addresses multiple audiences: local communities and municipal authorities in the areas of implementation; Lidl Hellas employees, who act as ambassadors of corporate volunteering and sustainability culture; consumers and visitors, who are encouraged to rethink their relationship with single-use plastics; civil society organizations and local stakeholders; and the younger generation, through a positive, hands-on narrative that makes environmental protection understandable and participatory.

The initiative began in June 2020 in Santorini and continues for the sixth consecutive year, with annual implementation and expansion to new destinations.